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r Juny w', 1923. 1,461,644

` C.' D. BEDWIN VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC WATER HATERS Filed Feb. 1. 1922 7 f /f M5 Y ja Patented July l@, 1923.

UNET STATES ratten raar erstes.

CLARK D. BIEDWN, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNA.

VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC WATER HEATERS.

Application filed February 1, 1922. Serial No. 533,371.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CLARK D. BnDwIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Automatic Water Heaters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in thev art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to water heaters and more especially to safetyy check valves for use in automatic water heaters of a type setforth in my pending application filed October 19, 1920, and bearing Serial Number 418,019.

Automatic water heaters of the type wherein the flow of the gas is controlled by the manipulation of the spigot or faucet at a distance from the heater, require in addition to the usual automatic cut-off, a further safety controlling device to insure the closing ofthe gas valvey when the flow of the water is stopped. Injury to the water meter, the gas heater, and the household property is sometimes caused by the automatic actuating piston sticking and failing to cut off the flow of gas after the spigot or faucet has cut off the flow of water. This injury is caused by the high back pressure produced in the water line through the continued burning of the gas flame.

It is an object of my invention to utilize this back pressure and effect the closing of a valve whereby the back pressure is prevented from entering the water line, and directed in full strength against the automatic actuating piston insuring the movement of said piston and the closing of the gas valve.

Another objectl of my invention is to produce an automatic controlling means for water heaters, said means including a special ported pressure cylinder having a simple and easily accessible .regulating valve, and a safety check valve associated therewith, all of said parts being effectively located beneath the heater and capable of being readily inspected and repaired.

A further object of this present invention is to locate and arrange the safety check valve within the automatic valve controlling y and arrangementof the safety valve and aS- sociated parts l hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved automatic water heater illustrating the safety check valve;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through a portion of the automatic controlling means including the pressure cylinder, actuating piston, regulating valve and safety check valve; i A

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view partly in elevation, on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure t is a detail view of the valve operated by the actuating piston for controllingthe flow of gas.

Referring to the drawings,I have shown an automatic water heater 1, provided with the burner 2, and an automatic valve controlling' device 3 located beneaththe burner and operatively controlled by the flow of the water. rThe heater may be of any preferred type. but I have shown for purposes herein a construction which includes oppositely arranged headers 4: and 5 into which are eX- panded opposite ends of water circulating tubes 6. Complementary plates 7 and 8 having projecting fins `9 are lpositioned against `the headers, thereby forming a series of intercommunicating chambers adapted to direct the flow of the water through constricted water passageways while being heated.

The ywater inlet to the heater is shown at l0 and the outlet from said heater at 11. The water enters the inlet 10 and circulates through 'the intercommunicating chambers, leaving the heater through the outlet 11, as will be' understood.

Communicating with the inlet chamber 10 is a water connection in the form of a vertically disposed pipe 12, the lower end of which is connected with a cylinderv 13 vof an actuating device or motor 14.

The motor 14 comprises a piston l5 horizontally movable in the pressure cylinder 13, and provided with a relatively long piston rod 16 adapted to extend beneath the lheater within a suitable housing or casing 17 and operate the gas valve 18. The housing 17 consists of a short 'tubular vcasing detachably secured at 19 to a boss extending from the cylinder. The opposite end of the housthe gas in a direct manner tothe burner 2,

' water supply.

which as shown herein is of a multi-tube construction, but whichfmay be of any other approved design as will be understood.

The gas valve 18 islocated at one end of the gas chamber 21 and is seated against the tubular extension 24 as shown by meansof a spring 25 interposed between the valve and the end wall 26 of a casing 27 Perforations 28 are provided in the end wall 26 through which the. gas enters the casing 27 prior to being admitted to the chamber 21. Any form of `gas pipe connection 29,'shown in dotted lines, may be threaded upon the casing 27, said connection being in communicationwith any suitable source of gas supply. A pilot 30 is provided for the burner 2, said pilot consisting' ot a relatively small vertical pipe 31, adapted to convey a'small quantity of gaspfrom the chamber 21 to the burning end 32.

Positioned beneath the aforesaid ldescribed l parts is awater connection arranged in the form of a horizontally disposed pipe 33 which is connected to any suitable source of Arranged within and between, the said water connection, and adjacent to cylinderv 13 is a valve 311 adjustably lmounted with respect to a water inlet provided in the cylinder 13 upon one side oii the piston 141.

stern 35 and is suitably squared at its end t`o provide for the movement of the valve toward and away from its seat for the admission ot a predetermined amount of water to the cylinder 13.

`The opening 36 .and the` opening in the pipe connection 12 are in vertical alinement as shown for permitting the directA iiow oit `Athe water through the cylinder into the theater. thereby permitting of a sensitive and instantaneous actuation of the piston 15 i upon increase or decrease-of the ypressure of water within the cylinder 13,

rllhe direct y passage of the lwater throughthe cylinder alsoserves to flush the cylinder and reduce toa minimum the possibility of the piston sticking on laccount of accumulation of sediment. l

v The safety check valve is shown as located in the path ofy the water as it passes through.r

the opening 36, and comprises a ball valve y37 adapted to normally rest upon the valve `seat as showneSurroundingfthe vvalve 37.is

,- an extension or cage-like structure '38, of a '65, height sufficient to preventthe displacement of the valve. v The spring 39 surrounding the vproximity to piston rod 16k and interposed between the piston 15 and one end wall of the pressure cylinder 13, serves to prevent the ball from being forced out of the cage 33- Openings 10 for the passage of the water are provided in the cage 38, these openings lbeing best shown in Figure 3. f

As shown the controlling valve 34: and the safety. check valveV are arranged in close each other,the inner and outer faces of the wall of the cylinder 13 forming the respective seats for the valves as shown. The water as it liows through the ope-ning 36 lifts the check valve 37 ofi' its seat suficiently high to permit the free and'uninI 'terrupted passage of the water throughv the .openings `40 out into the interior of the pres sure cylinder from where it passes upwardly into the pipe 12 and into theheater. It will be seen that the safety checlrvalve does not interfere with the vnorn'iallow of the water, said valve` rising to the position shown in dotted lines in :Figure 2. .When` the flow of the water is stopped the ball drops back upon its seat. ,lffythe piston sticks and should the normal bach, pressure be insufficient to move the piston toward the left, it will be seen that the gas valve remains open and the burner continues to burnafter the faucet or spigot'has been turned orf. This causes an `increase in the back-pressure and as the check valve is seated, this back pressure is upon one side of the piston 15, causing said piston to ,move and cutoff the gas supply. An opening 41 is provided in the cylinder 13, said openino" serving to act as a conduit y for the admission of a certainamount of This valve 34: is provided with a threaded.

water into the opposite end of thelcylinder at the opposite side of the pistonas ,will be understood. r1`his openingfll is provided. in

the wall of the cylinder 13 near the ,lertend oli the latter, and a cap 12 is; litted upon the jing the cylinder 13-upon the opposite side oi'A `the piston.

The' water continues to flow through the cylinder into thepipe 12y and thence into the heater 1, from where it passes to the pipesof the systeni'andl ultimately is stopped by the hot water spigots or faucets provided in the system. `When the iiow of 'the water is stopped they check valve gravitatesback to its seat and remainsthere until ythe water is allowed to again iiow through the system.

When the :sure fithin the heater 1, pipe 12 and cyl- Linder 13 lisredu'ced. When this occurs the llO faucet is opened, the water presal head of water entering the pipe 33 and more particularly that portion of the water passing through the opening 41 forces the piston 15 toward the heater, thereby causing the piston rod 1G to actuate the gas valve 18 and move it off its seat. Gas is now permitted to flow into the chamber 21, thence through thel pipe connection 22 to the burner 2 where it is ignited by the pilot 30. The ball check valve is lifted by the flowing water and is kept off of its seat as long as the faucet or spigot remains open.

When the faucet ris closed the pressure within the pipe 12 and cylinder 13 is againy of the device results, frequently with at` tending serious injury to the apparatus and adjacent property. With the safety check valve however, it will be seen that any increase in the back pressure serves only to. more securely seat the said check valve and prevent the escape of the back pressure into the line where it might do considerable dainage. This back pressure begins to increase until sufficiently strong enough to effect the movement of the piston and close the gas valve 18, said back pressure acting directly upon the face of the piston. ln this manner a jammed or sticking piston is caused to move in a comparatively short time after the faucet has been closed, insuring the closing of the gas valve kbefore any damage is done.

Changes in the construction and arrange'- ment of the several parts may be made without departing from my invention, which l now particularly set forth as follows:

l claim: y

1. In an automatic water heater the combination with a burner of a fuel supply valve, an automatic controlling means for said valve, said means including a pressure cylinder and piston movable therein, a valve controlled water inlet for said cylinder and a checlr valve in said water inlet for arresting the backward flow of the water and permitting the formation of excessive back pressure for operating the aforesaid piston to close t-he fuel valve.

2. In an automatic water heater the combination with a burner of a fuel supply valve, an automatic controlling means for said'valve, said means including a pressure cylinder having spaced water inlet ports upon one side thereof and a water outlet port substantially alined with one of the said inlet ports, a piston movable in said cylinder between the said inlet ports, means connecting the piston with the fuel valve,a valve for the one of said water inlet ports which isl substantially aligned with said outlet port, and a valve arranged between the last mentioned inlet port and the outlet port for arresting the backward iow of the water and permitting the formation of excessive back pressure against one side of the piston for closing the fuel valve.

3. In an automatic water heater the combination with a burner of a fuel supply valve,an automatic controlling Imeans for said valve including a pressure cylinder and piston movable therein, water inlets for said cylinder upon each side of the piston', a water outlet opening from said cylinder, and a check valve forone` of said water inlets arranged to arrest the backward flowof water for permitting-the formation of a relatively high back pressure against one side of the piston for .positively closing the fuel valve. n 4. ln combination, a liquid container, a burner for heating the same, a fuel conduit for conveying gaseous fuel to the burner, ak

fuel control valve arranged 'in said conduit for regulating the fuel fed to said'burner,` a

piston chamber, a piston arranged in said chamber, means connecting said piston to said fuel control valve to permit the piston to open and close said valve, a liquid supply pipe for feeding liquid to said chamber at one side of said piston, a conduit for conveying liquid from the liquid supply pipe to said chamber and at the opposite side of said piston, a liquid discharge pipe connecting the portion of said chamber at the first mentioned side of said piston to said liquid container, and an automatically operating check valve arranged in the liquid supply pipe and adapted to close under back pressure in said chamber to permit the back pressure to actuate the piston and close the fuel control valve.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 4 including` a manually controlled valve for regulating the liquid passing through the liquid supply pipe.

6. A combination as claimed in vclaim 4 including springs cooperating with the piston and with the fuel supply valve for aiding in closing the fuel supply valve.

ln testimony whereof l affix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' CLARK D. BEDWIN. 

